1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to food preparation devices and, more particularly, to a ladle for separating oil and grease from soups and liquids and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cooks, chefs and others who prepare meals are familiar with the hassles associated with the separation of grease, oil, or fat from soups or sauces while they are being cooked. More and more people are becoming aware of the health risks associated with the over consumption of such substances, and wish to remove as much as possible from their diet. Quite often, this is done by the gentle tipping of the pot or pan to allow the undesired liquid to drain off. Other options include the use of cup separators, or syringes, of neither which are very efficient nor easy to use. Additionally, the use of such devices, requires that they be cleaned afterwards, thus increasing the cleanup chores. Accordingly, the need has developed for a means by which to remove oils, greases, fats and other similar undesired liquids from soups and sauces while being cooked. The development of the Cooking Oil or Grease Separator fulfills this need.
In the related art, grease and water separators used in cooking are well known. There exists many utility and design patents for soup or sauce skimming ladles which remove the grease and fast from the surface of the liquid. Most of these designs take advantage of the physical properties of grease and oil in that grease and oil do not mix and that the grease will float on the surface of the water. Typically, the device is inserted into the vessel containing the liquids and a portion of the liquid is forced through an opening in the bottom of the device. Since the grease or oil is on top it is forced through first and allowed to accumulate in a chamber in the device. Once water or non-fat liquid begins to come through the opening the process is stopped. There also exists devices which mop up the grease or oil with an absorbent material much like a mop absorbs water off of the floor.
The present invention is of the first variety of grease separators described comprised of a multi-piece snap together ladle designed to be inserted into a soup or sauce and collect grease in a chamber in the bottom of the label. Only one patent in the prior art describes a similar device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,737 issued to Betzen describes ladle type skimmer consisting of a ladle with a truncated cone shape funnel located in the body of the ladle and a screen mesh that snaps into the bottom of the body. The present invention is an improvement on this type ladle skimmer by enlarging the ladle basin and improving the shape of the truncated cone portion for improved separating capabilities and increasing the volume of the cavity where fat and oil may collect. In addition, a large downwardly tapered funnel suction is added to the bottom of the ladle base with a screen section sandwiched therebetween for improved drawing capability of fluids from the soup or sauce vessel to the ladle.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved cooking oil or grease separator.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for the efficient and quick removal of oils, greases.
It is another object of the present invention to work in soups, sauces, etc.
It is yet another object of the present invention to be easy to use.
It is a benefit of the present invention to provide for healthier food.
It is another benefit of the present invention to also function as a conventional ladle.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it reduces utensil cleanup.
It is another advantage of the present invention that it can be made in a large scale version to aid in oil spill cleanups.
Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, the Cooking Oil or Grease Separator is a device that allows oils, greases, fats and other undesired liquids from soups and sauces while being cooked in an efficient and safe manner. The device consists of a ladle with an inverted funnel section located in the interior of the ladle. As it is lowered into soups or sauces, the oil, fat or other similar lighter than water liquids are forced through the funnel and into the ladle portion. From there, they can simply be disposed of in a conventional manner. Additionally, the ladle may serve the function of stirring or serving of the food, thus reducing the amount of utensils that must be cleaned after food preparation duties.
It is also envisioned that a large scale industrial version may aid in the environmental cleanup of oil spills. The Cooking Oil or Grease Separator would be manufactured from plastic and/ or stainless steel.